Kitten survives ride to Burgaw under hood of truck

Wednesday

Jul 17, 2013 at 9:20 PM

The group tried to edge the cat out of the fan, but every time they came close to snatching it, it ducked away.

By Adam WagnerAdam.Wagner@StarNewsOnline.com

A kitten was recovering Wednesday night at Burgaw Veterinary Hospital Clinic after taking a 45-mile ride under the hood of a pickup truck.A group of employees at Cardinal Metal Works in Burgaw rescued the dehydrated and scared cat after a coworker arrived about 3:30 p.m. and said the animal was stuck under the hood of his truck."I couldn't believe it. I was like, ‘What?'" said Allison Haffey, one of the rescuers who also volunteers at the Pender Humane Society. "And I went out there and it was very difficult to see it because it's black and it's got some little white markings and the way it was sitting in the bottom of the fan housing, it was very difficult to see."The group tried to edge the cat out of the fan, but every time they came close to snatching it, it ducked away."We could see the kitten but we couldn't get it. ... After trying to coax the kitten, we sprayed it with water, we couldn't get it out, its tongue was hanging out," said Krishna Miller, who helped with the rescue.After about an hour of trying, the group members dismantled part of the fan to get their hands down inside of it and grab the animal."It was still panting, terrified," said Sheila Johnson, another rescuer.Johnson and Haffey both use the Burgaw clinic, so they called it and were told to bring the cat over even though closing time was fast approaching. To get the animal to help, they had to cut holes in a cardboard box with a cup of water in it.All six members of the group agreed to split the initial vet bills, which will include the cost of an examination, a sedative to calm the kitten down and fluids to help stabilize it. Haffey said the vet estimated the bill at about $300."His tail will have to be amputated because it's shredded and cut, but other than that they don't know anything right now," Johnson said.It's unclear whether the tail was severed during the kitten's ride or before. Anyone interested in helping to pay for the cat's care can send donations to the Pender Humane Society, Attention Deb or Allison, P.O. Box 626, Burgaw, NC 28425. Donations should reference the cat that was pulled out of the pickup truck.After that, the group – none of whom can take the cat in – will work to find the animal a permanent home, possibly by going through the humane society.One member of the rescue group said the sweat and stress were worth it."It was hot all day at work and then we had to deal with that, but that's nothing as long as we can get him help, as long as we can get him better," Miller said.